Getting Closer While Growing Closer

I am sitting here thinking of all that has happened in the past 2 weeks with our adoption process. The Lord has shown up at every step of this process which humbles me and puts me in awe of Him at the same time. He has been so good to us, eventhough we do not deserve it.

Our immigration fingerprints were taken Thursday, November 10th. As Jason and I were approaching The Cities we noticed that traffic was backed up. Immediately I started to panic, thinking we would be late for our appointment. (Yes, I am a little high strung in these kinds of situations.) Jason looked at me and said, "Do you think we should pray?" Ummm, yeah, excellent idea! : ) So we prayed that the day would go smoothly, that traffic would clear up, that we would make it on time, and that the people working in the offices we were going to would be pleasant and helpful. (I was just worried about every little detail of this day and was having nightmares at night that I had forgotten something or that we would be sitting in the immigration office all day with crabby people.) I was overcome with emotion as I prayed. I think the reality of being so close to getting our daughter who I do not even know has started to set in. I do not know what she likes. I do not know how she will react to me. I do not know if there are hidden "special needs" that we will need to care for. I do not know......on and on it goes. Anyway, we finished praying and after finding out that it was just a stalled car causing a back up, traffic started moving again. We arrived at our destination with a half hour to spare. We walked into the office and were the first to be fingerprinted. As the kind lady scanned my fingers, she noticed it was almost my birthday. She said, "Oh, happy early birthday!" Thank you Lord for placing a kind woman in my path when I was all wound up and nervous. We were out of there within 5 minutes and onto the Secretary of State's office to have our papers certified. We were the only people waiting at the Secretary of State's office so that visit only took 15 minutes, and that was with a bathroom break! : ) We were done with two major steps in our adoption process before 9 a.m. Praise the Lord for his wonderful answer to our prayers. Now we just await approval of our fingerprints, which Lord willing, will arrive this week.

Yesterday I went to the post office and laid months of paperwork in the hands of the USPS. Our lives, spelled out on paper, is now traveling to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago to be authenticated. I walked into the post office with very specific directions on how to send this package. I finally looked at the worker and apologized for being so direct and explained that these were very important papers. Like she hasn't had people come in with "very important papers" before. She probably thought I was nuts! Our agency has told us that it can take up to 20 days for the Chinese Consulate to process our papers, so we will wait.

Two weeks ago in Sunday School the topic of adoption was brought up. The teacher asked those who have adopted to compare the love Jesus shows us as adopted children of Him to their own adoption journey. As I listened to several responses, my heart started racing and the hot flashes started. I knew it was the Holy Spirit nudging me to share, but I am not big on sharing in class. I usually have to think a little or discuss the topic with individuals after class. I also knew that if I opened my mouth tears would soon follow my words. This time my heart just kept racing so I knew I needed to speak up. Sure enough, when I started speaking tears started to flow as I explained that we are in the midst of adopting a beautiful little girl whom we have pictures of and a little bit of information about and we already love her and are longing to be with her. Just as I am longing to be with her and pursuing her with patience, so Jesus longs to be with each of us and to have that intimate relationship like a father has to a daughter or son or a mother to her daughter or son. Jesus longs for us to come into a relationship with Him. He pursues us, He loves us, and He is patient with us. It was a revelation moment for me in that class like so many times during this journey.

This past week I have been able to follow David Platt's journey to China to finally be united with their daughter. David Platt is the author of Radical and I think I mentioned his book in my very first blog post. He has had great posts that has made me think and prepare a little more for our day of being united with Lucy and the days to follow. He writes much better than I when he compares physical adoption with the relationship to our Heavenly Father as adopted sons and daughters. His blog is worth reading. The address is http://bhglobalblog.org/2011/11/26/do-you-know-god-as-father/ While watching some of his first videos of being united with his daughter, Mara Ruth, I was again boosted with hope that some day we will be united with Lucy. He does talk about some of the unexpected issues that may come with adopting a child from an orphange that has caused me to start some new prayers. For example, his daughter has been used to having women care for her in the orphange that she has attached much better to Platt's wife than to himself. This has caused some longing on his part to grow that father/daughter relationship, but will take more time than he thought. I pray for Jason and Lucy's relationship, that she will accept him as her father with time and that Jason would be patient during that process.. I pray for Lucy as she will be grieving everything that is "normal" to her when we become a family and that she will adjust to her new family and life well. While I know that each adoption journey is different and each child responds differently, David Platt's blog has come at just a perfect time to prepare me for what lies ahead for us.

I am excited and nervous to be this close to getting our little Lucy home. The Lord has sustained us this far and will continue to sustain us until we are united as a family. I think of what my sister-in-law and fellow adoptive mother said to me, "Just think, this will be your last Thanksgiving as a family of 5." Oh that makes me excited! I will leave with this poem from David Platt's blog. He wrote it for his wife last Chrismas from the perspective of a child waiting for a family.

Today, I sit in China, a special child in need,
Of a mommy and a daddy who will come and care for me.

Though I’m still just a baby, I have a longing for a home,
For a family who is willing to call me their own.

Most days I feel forgotten, yet unbeknownst to me,
The Father to the fatherless is at work behind the scenes.

For many miles away, He has a mom and a dad,
Who’ve been walking through a journey that has sometimes left them sad.

For many years they prayed that God would give them a child,
And finally God answered in a way that made them smile.

In one year alone (nine months to be precise),
Through a miracle of miracles, God gave them offspring twice.

First a son through adoption, and then one more naturally,
And all of a sudden, they doubled their family.

Yet now a few years later, they are struggling once again,
Pleading and yet wondering if their prayers are in vain.

Oh, be patient, mom and dad, for the Father on high,
Is listening with care and has heard our every cry.

He knows how much I need you, and how much you need me,
He’s arranging every detail for the day that we will see…

Each other for the first time, in the city where I live,
Where you’ll take me in your arms, and on that day you’ll give…

Me what I’ve always dreamed of and desired deep inside,
A family whose love for me will never, ever subside.

I know this may sound insensitive and hard to understand,
But I am very grateful that the process you had planned…

Has been blocked and delayed at various points along the way,
For as a result of your setbacks, I’ll be your child one day.

So even when it’s tough, please wait and persevere,
For though you do not know me yet, I’m waiting over here.

One day soon in China, we will finally meet,
And our God will be exalted for your patient pursuit of me.

Soli Deo Gloria!